


Glad You Came

by Miss_Apple



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Kid Fic, M/M, Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-22
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 04:29:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Apple/pseuds/Miss_Apple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles' spark flares to life the brightest when his subconscious desires are strong enough resulting in a jaw dropping surprise for his Alpha.</p>
<p>(Tags will change/evolve as the story does as the story isn't complete and I'm not sure what will be included. Title may change.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Apples here. I want to go ahead and apologize right here and now. I'm more of an artist than a writer but this story demanded to be written and not drawn. It's been years since I last published something I wrote. I hope this isn't bad and I have no beta reader so any mistakes are my own.

**April 8th**

Although he knew he shouldn't have, and most importantly his father would be pissed if he found out, Stiles still decided that getting completely shitfaced on his eighteenth birthday was a grand idea. A part of him, the logical side, thought he should be concerned with how easy it was for him to polish off a bottle of Jack. Alcoholism was hereditary wasn't it? And his father did have a slight, okay a major, problem with drinking after his mom had passed. So he probably shouldn't have been jumping at the idea of getting drunk, but it was his birthday and he was going to do what he wanted.

 

Even if that meant somehow ending up by the old Hale house, drunk as a skunk, and barely able to walk in a wavy line.

 

With blurry vision, he looked up at the dark house. Derek had finally rebuilt his family home. Stiles liked to think that was because of his insistence. Really. The guy could only live in that old warehouse, train depot, whatever for so long. He needed a home and he had one. He just needed to tear it down and build it back up again. Derek had of course protested for a long while having not wanted to get rid of the last memories of his family, but eventually he saw reason. His family, and his mother especially, wouldn't want him essentially homeless because of a misguided attempt to keep their memory and his guilt alive.

 

One day, Stiles stopped by and found Derek boxing up the few things that hadn't been singed beyond repair. Without saying a word, the then seventeen year old began helping him. He was careful. More careful than Derek expected yet he appreciated the help. They worked silently for hours until everything was packed away in four boxes. It was sad how little Derek had left to remember his family.

 

Every picture Stiles came across had been blackened and curled upon itself from the intense heat of the fire. He remembered wishing that Derek had something else to remember his family by. A photo album would be ideal. He kept hoping to find one somehow protected from the devastating fire. Imagine his surprise when he was helping to move the old settee out when they discovered the photo album when Stiles accidentally kicked it. A thick layer of dust and ash coating its surface but otherwise in good shape. Derek toed the album open warily. The pictures inside undamaged. Derek's surprise had been so disconcerting that he dropped his end of the couch causing Stiles to lurch forward a bit and drop his end. He remembered feeling swears bubbling up but he kept his mouth shut. He could do that sometimes when it was important enough.

 

Stiles sat with Derek on the old couch as the Alpha slowly opened the photo album as if he were afraid the pictures inside would disintegrate with his touch. Derek sat there, staring at the first picture for so long Stiles began to worry. Before he could voice his concerns Derek began to speak in a soft voice. The first picture was of his parents shortly after they became mates. They looked so happy and Stiles remarked offhandedly how Derek seemed to have inherited his mother's pretty eyes. He missed the look sent his way but within a few short moments the normally monosyllabic man began explaining the pictures and who was in them. The few with Peter Hale were frowned at.

 

One he'd plucked out, intending on ripping the half off with his uncle when Stiles had put a hand on his forearm, “Don't. You don't want to mess up the rest of the picture right? We can get some scissors later and cut him out neatly cause you don't want to accidentally end up ripping Laura out of the picture too, right?”

 

That had been a good enough reason for Derek and the picture had been put away. When they finally made it through to the end of the album, Derek seemed lighter. As if finding this one part of his history took away some of the pain and grief he felt. Without looking to Stiles he had muttered a soft, “Thank you,” before putting the book away in one of the boxes. From that day on, Derek and Stiles grew closer. Talks were easier and came more frequently. Stiles saw him smile. Actually saw Derek James Hale smile, and after that smile came a laugh. One that had been unexpected and full of life, and it shocked Stiles to his core. Was that the Derek before the massacre of his family? Stiles had smiled and laughed with him as he vowed to get that Derek to show up more. And he had. Though Scott was quick to mention Derek was only like that when Stiles was around.

 

Shaking his head to clear the memories, Stiles swayed a little on his feet. Why had he come to the Hale house? He raised the bottle of Jack Daniels and squinted one eye at it like the bottle would explain the reason for walking all the way to the forest. There was only an inch or so of brown liquid in the bottle, and after a shrug he raised the bottle to his lips and finished it off.

 

Just as he was lowering the bottle, he could make out one ...two... no wait just one Derek standing in front of him and frowning disapprovingly.

 

“Heeeey, Derek what're you d-... doing here?”

 

“You're too young to drink.”

 

“I,” the teen singsonged. “-don't care.”

 

Derek pressed his lips into a thin line as he exhaled heavily through his slightly flared nostrils. He wasn't sure what he should do with Stiles. He knew if he let Stiles stay at his place the teen would inevitably annoy him until he fell into a drunken sleep. For his sanity, he thought maybe sending Stiles home would be better. Except. What if the sheriff was home? He didn't want Stiles to get in trouble and he also didn't want to get himself in trouble. He was more than certain he would look bad if he brought a drunk teenager home.

 

Derek was not going to jail because of Stiles. Again.

 

The Alpha looked skyward and sighed. In that short amount of time he was looking away from Stiles, the younger male somehow tripped over his own feet and face-planted. Stiles groaned in pain, the sounds muffled by the grass and dirt his face was currently pressed into. Pained sounds tapered off as Derek knelt down beside Stiles to help him up. By the time he was maneuvering Stiles into a more upright position the pained noises had evolved into snores.

 

“...seriously?” Derek rolled his eyes as he very nearly tossed a seemingly asleep Stiles over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Standing, he glanced to his Camaro once again contemplating taking Stiles home, before he shook his head and headed inside his home. If he was lucky, Stiles would just sleep the alcohol off.

 

By the time Derek got Stiles upstairs, and into the guest bedroom Stiles claimed as his own, Stiles was awake again.

 

“Der'k... sorry...”

 

Derek's brow raised as he looked to the teen sprawled across the bed. He wondered if he should remove the comforter and pillows from the bed as he didn't want the teen to somehow figure out a way to smother himself in his drunken state. “What are you sorry for?”

 

“Is my.... fault,” he slurred and sounded extremely sad. Even his scent had changed, sadness, guilt, sorrow, despair, though it was hard to tell thanks to the alcohol scent masking the subtle scents.

 

Drunken confessions? Derek just frowned as he asked the next obvious question. “What's your fault, Stiles?”

 

“She died... cause me,” Stiles hiccuped and whether it was from drinking or from barely suppressed sobs would remain to be seen. “I.. I killed her.”

 

Through everything they had been through, with his uncle and the Alpha's, Stiles hadn't quite dealt the killing blow to anyone. Oh he helped get them weak enough to be killed but he hadn't actually killed anyone himself. That he knew of. So Derek asked again, hoping that the alcohol would keep the younger male's brain to mouth filter turned completely off. “Who did you kill, Stiles?”

 

“My mom,” he sobbed brokenly as he pressed his face into his pillow. Before Derek could press it further, Stiles explained what happened between heartrending sobs of pain. “I was stupid... so so stupid and it was my birthday. We.. it was tradition. Birthday person got whatever they wanted. No one could yell at them or tell them no. Everyone had to be super nice to them. I wanted a burrito for lunch. It was raining and mom didn't want to go. Said she'd call dad and make him bring it but I was being a brat and wanted it right then. I fussed and yelled and called her the worst mom ever cause she was ruining my birthday and...and she left. She went to get it. She wanted to make me happy and I killed her..!”

 

“Stiles?” Derek was a little confused but he thought he might understand what happened. He wasn't sure if he should make Stiles say it, but it was healthier than letting it stay inside and fester like an infected wound. If Stiles wasn't careful, his guilt over what happened could destroy him.

 

“She...the roads were slick and she was driving careful but an asshole in an SUV wasn't. He was speeding and he hydroplaned and crashed into her... in the Jeep. She flipped and was thrown from the Jeep only to have it land.... She didn't wear a seat belt. Forgot it because I was being a little shit. If I hadn't.. she'd still be here. It's my fault. All my fault,” Stiles continued to repeat it was his fault as he sobbed. Eventually, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

 

Derek frowned. That kind of guilt he understood. He wasn't sure how he could help Stiles overcome his massive amounts of guilt and grief but he would try. Stiles was the closest thing he had to a best friend and he wanted him to be happy.

 

Worried about him, the Alpha decided to watch over Stiles as the teen slept off the alcohol in his system. Knowing he would likely be hungover in the morning, Derek made sure to go downstairs to the kitchen to get some things to make Stiles comfortable in the morning. He put the hangover 'cure' on the nightstand as he contemplated laying in the bed with Stiles. Ultimately, he decided it would be better for him to get as comfortable as possible in the plush chair in the corner of the room. For several hours he listened to the teen's heartbeat and the sound of his breathing. Sometime near midnight, he dozed off.

 

Stiles slept through the night. Before his little drinking binge he had turned his phone off, and subsequently missed the multiple calls and texts from his father and Scott. Sunlight was just beginning to peek through the window nearest the bed when Stiles woke with a groan of pain. His head was pounding and he was pretty sure if he moved at a pace faster than a snail he would end up puking all over his bed. Opening one eye, he narrowed it as he realized he wasn't home but at Derek's house and in the room that he insisted was to be for his use only. He even kept extra clothes in the room because supernatural happenings tended to ruin his clothes and he'd rather not go home caked in dirt and with his clothing in torn ribbons. More important than clothes was the question 'Why was he at Derek's..?' His throbbing brain was slow to give him the answer, but when it did he wondered if there was a way for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He was so embarrassed. Only Scott and his dad knew about the guilt he carried on the anniversary of his mother's death. A day that was shared with his birthday.

 

Moving slowly, Stiles sat up and willed his head to stop pounding when he noticed the nightstand had a glass of water, two aspirin, and a half empty pack of plain saltine crackers. Stiles smiled a little as he took the pills first. He knew how important it was to rehydrate so he made sure to drink most of the water before he started to nibble on the crackers. Derek's thoughtfulness was much appreciated in helping him not feel as much like shit as he would have otherwise.

 

Movement from the corner of his field of vision caught his attention and he nearly blushed at realizing Derek had stayed in the room with him. He had watched over him. And he was waking up. “Hey... Derek. Thanks.”

 

Derek noticed that Stiles had made use of his hangover 'cure' and smiled slightly. “No problem.” He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Stiles... about last night.”

 

Stiles' soft smile faded into a frown as he looked at the cracker in his hand. “Can we not?? I... don't really tell people what happened. And--”

 

“It's not your fault,” Derek interrupted him knowing all too well how Stiles felt about his mother's death.

 

“It is,” Stiles whispered as he dropped the cracker was holding so he could cover his face with both his hands. “If I hadn't wanted a stupid fucking … burrito she'd still be alive! But no. I had to pull birthday rank and demand,” his breath hitched as he held back a sob. “Derek, she died and my last words to her was how she was a bad mother who was ruining my birthday!”

 

Derek frowned harder, his hands hovering near Stiles because he wanted to hug him but would Stiles appreciate that? Would he even want a hug at the moment? Deciding to take a chance, Derek gently tugged Stiles close so he could pull him into what he hoped was a comforting hug. “Stiles. I'm sure your mom knows you were just being a brat and she wouldn't blame you for the accident. You didn't make it rain, or make that asshole not pay attention to the road. And you didn't make your mom not put on her seatbelt. None of it was your fault. You were just a kid, Stiles.”

 

If Stiles hadn't been so grief stricken he would have pushed away from Derek's hug and made a dumb joke. Instead, he leaned against Derek and sobbed as his Alpha told him it wasn't his fault. They stayed like that for a long time. Derek holding Stiles who was practically in his lap as he assured the teen that he hadn't killed his own mother.

 

After Stiles' tears dried, the slightly embarrassed teen thought about Derek's own situation. He knew the Alpha carried a lot of guilt about the death of the majority of his family. Derek needed to know that what he said to Stiles also applied to him so the teen spoke in a soft whisper that he knew Derek could easily hear, “Derek, you know it wasn't your fault either. Right?” He felt the older male tense up and he sighed. “You didn't make her set the fire and you were.. Derek you were just a kid. She took advantage of you. So.. it wasn't your fault.”

 

Derek was silent for a long time before he tightened his hold on Stiles and whispered so softly Stiles almost didn't hear it. “Thank you.”

 

Stiles knew he couldn't bring back Derek's family but in that moment he wished for Derek to have the family he wanted. He wanted the pack to come together. Not just when something threatened Beacon Hills but rather all the time. Derek needed the pack. He needed a family, and Stiles hoped he could help him get that.


	2. Chapter 2

**February 5 th**

 

Stiles drummed his fingers over the steering wheel of his beloved Jeep as he nodded his head along to a Miley Cyrus song. He didn't care what people said about the singer. Her songs were catchy and he liked them.

 

The squeaky honk of a silly looking micro car behind him had him looking up and realizing that the light was indeed green. Shrugging slightly, he pressed his foot onto the accelerator and prepared to shift into the next gear when his Jeep seemingly died on him.

 

“Aww no. Come on baby. Don't be like this!” Stiles crooned to his car as he put it back in park. The honking started up again and with a roll of his eyes he flipped off the other driver as he tried to start up his Jeep again. The first and second times he tried nothing happened, “Come on. Just start up for me. I need to check in with Derek but after I'm through I promise I'll take you to a mechanic. I'll get your oil changed, and I'll even take you to that new car wash place. Get you all prettied up.” On the third time he turned the ignition his baby came to life. Smiling proudly, Stiles leaned down to kiss his steering wheel.

 

Sitting up and singing along to the radio, Stiles headed out of Beacon Hills toward the preserve and the single family home tucked away in the forest.

 

Stiles was maybe ten minutes from the Hale house when he spotted what looked like car broken down on the side of the road. Leaning against the car was a young woman who seemed to be crying. Taking pity on her, the teen pulled over in front of her car.

 

“Hey! Are you okay?” He called out as he got out of his Jeep. The sobbing woman just shrugged as she looked over to him which made him frown. “...Lady?”

 

“Um... I... my car... it... it's not working right. I think I just need a start. Like jumper cables or something and,” she spoke softly and if Stiles had been a werewolf he would have noticed the telltale upbeat of the woman's heart that all but screamed she was lying. “Do you..ah.. Do you know where Derek Hale's house is? I've been looking... I have something for him but I can't find his house and my car just isn't working right and today has been a really bad day. ...week really...”

 

As she started to heavily sob again, Stiles flailed a little as he was unsure what to do. “Ah crap.. Lady. It's okay. Don't cry. I've got jumper cables and … and I was on my way to Derek's. I could show you the way. Just stop crying. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna get those cables.” Stiles looked her over for a moment before he moved back to his Jeep.

 

Thanks to his school and lacrosse crap, it was harder than he thought it would be to find the jumper cables he knew were somewhere in there. After several long minutes, he found what he was looking for. Turning around, he raised the cables triumphantly just in time to see the woman setting something down in the street. Curious, he watched her as she shook her head.

 

“Give it to Derek for me? I can't.. I won't.... Just... I...” She hurried to her car, started it up with no problem, and took off down the street driving at reckless speeds. Stiles just stared after her car until a wailing sound caught his attention.

 

“. . .”

 

Stiles mentally swore as he realized what was in the middle of the street. An infant carrier, a stuffed diaper bag, and a box of diapers. Throwing the jumper cables back into the back of his Jeep, he quickly rushed toward the car seat. If there really was a baby in it, then he needed to move it off the street. Most people did well over fifty miles per hour on that road and he didn't want to think what would happen to a baby if a car struck the carrier while going at those fast speeds.

 

Once he reached it, his eyes widened. The baby buckled into the carrier couldn't have been more than a week old and it's little face was scrunched up more than was usual for a newborn. In fact, it's little features had a certain wolfed out look to them and it was absolutely adorable. Minus the crying part of course.

 

“Hey hey hey. It's okay little buddy. You don't have to cry..!” Cautiously, he reached out to gently stroke the baby's plump cheek and that seemed to do the trick almost immediately. The baby's cries slowly ceased as it nuzzled Stiles' hand weakly. The newborn werewolf's features faded back into it's human look as the infant looked blearily up at Stiles and whimpered.

 

On an impulse, Stiles unbuckled the infant and carefully brought it close. It made a curiously contented noise as it turned its little head toward Stiles' neck and breathed in his scent. Holding the baby, Stiles smiled as he stood. He always wondered what a newborn werewolf would look like and now that he knew, well, he was glad he had stopped to help the kid's mom. He frowned as he thought about her and how she just abandoned her kid. The whimpers coming from the newborn made him gently bounce as he cooed to the baby.

 

“Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean to get upset. I'm just not very happy with your mommy right now. But I'll get you to Derek and we'll figure something out. Okay, kid?” The baby only made a snuffling noise in reply which Stiles took as an affirmative answer.

 

Since the baby seemed much more at ease while Stiles was holding it, Stiles carefully moved the baby to the crook of his arm so he could use his free hand to move the diaper bag and the diapers into the back of his Jeep. After wards, he apologized and kissed the newborn's forehead before putting it back into the carrier and buckling it in. The baby started to fuss a little but thankfully, Stiles spotted a pacifier that must have been in the carrier before he took the newborn out. Quickly, he popped the bit of rubber into the baby's mouth and that soothed the kid enough to put it into a light sleep. Stiles sighed in relief that the baby wouldn't be crying as he figured out how to buckle a car seat into his Jeep.

 

In Stiles' opinion, it was a lot harder than he ever expected it to be. Though it was a little easier after he discovered the 'How To' sticker on the side of the car seat. At least now he knew what the hell that “I” shaped piece of metal that was tucked away in his glove-box was for.

 

Finally, after an hour of dealing with the world's worst mother and learning how to sooth a werewolf newborn, Stiles was on his way to Derek's place with a Jerry Springer level surprise.

 

* * *

 

“DEREK!” Stiles yelled out not mindful of the sensitive to loud sounds passenger beside him. Thankfully, the werebaby just flinched and before it could start to cry again, Stiles reached over and patted it's little stomach softly.   
  
“Shii-uh... Sorry little buddy. Didn't mean to yell. That probably hurt your ears right and it's not like Derek couldn't hear me coming up the road so he probably already knows I'm here. I'm just a little freaked out. You understand right?” The only response was a grunting sound and Stiles really hoped that was an answer and not the beginning of a poopy diaper. He had NOT signed up for poopy diapers. At the most, he signed up as a delivery boy because that's what he was doing. Delivering a baby to Derek Hale. At least it wasn't the weirdest thing he'd ever delivered to Derek. He was pretty sure the weirdest thing had happened a year or so ago and was now referred to as that-time-that-did-not-happen.

 

As Stiles pulled up to the house and stopped a lot more carefully than he usually did, Derek stepped out the front door. Normally, he would have just rolled his eyes at Stiles hollering his name but something sounded off with his voice, and as he got closer his heart beat was extremely fast. Faster than normal. And he was pretty sure he heard a second, even faster heartbeat with Stiles. Had the teen hit an animal? Was that why he was freaked? Shouldn't he have taken the damn thing to the vet? Just because he was a werewolf didn't mean Derek could magically heal or talk to wild animals.

 

Frowning more than usual, Derek crossed his arms and calmly walked down the steps of his porch as he waited to see what calamity Stiles would bring on him. The moment seemed far too serious for him to find amusement in how Stiles nearly fell out of his Jeep. Before the alpha could ask what happened, a high pitched, warbly cry filled the air. Something about the cry was almost cat like but it was a bit off to be a cat. It was almost like... Derek's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked from the Jeep, where the cry emanated, to Stiles.

 

Derek had not been the oldest but was also not the youngest in his family. He remembered what the sound of a baby crying was like and this one sounded very, very young.

 

“Stiles. What? I thought you were a vir-”

 

“Yours!”

 

“...What?!”

 

“The baby! It's yours. Not mine. I didn't check the diaper so I don't know if it's a boy or a girl but I guess we should just pick a gender until we check? Calling the kid it can't be good and I'm sure it's... he? I'm sure he's been through a lot already and we don't want him developing a complex.”

 

Before Stiles could ramble on more, Derek growled. “What do you mean the baby is _mine,_ Stiles?!”

 

“Oh... yeah,” Stiles moved back to his Jeep so he could get the still crying infant out. “Right so, this lady was stopped on the side of the road and she looked upset so I stopped to help her. I though she had a flat or something and I couldn't just leave her there. That would be mean and it was getting late,” as he talked he unbuckled the screaming newborn. Almost as soon as the infant was cradled close to Stiles, with its little face tucked close to the teen's neck, it started to calm down. Soon enough its cries became pitiful little snuffling whimpers.

 

“She asked if I knew where Derek Hale lived so I mentioned I was on my way to see you. She looked equal parts terrified and thrilled. It was so weird. Of course I know why now. Anyway, she asked if I had jumper cables, and I do, so I said yes and went to get them. While I did that, I heard her take something out her car. Then she liked hopped in her car and drove off! I was like 'What the fu—uhh... F-U-C-K!”

 

Stiles tried to remember what he'd seen his father do when Charlotte at the station had her baby. His father had seemed like a natural at calming babies down. He supposed he wasn't doing too bad. The werebaby wasn't clawing him up or anything and thankfully it still didn't have fangs so it couldn't bite him.

 

“So yeah, next thing I know I hear crying and realize the crazy broad left a baby behind! Oh! There was a note too. I didn't want to read it because I figured it was for you and I guess it'll tell you more about this werebaby. Is that what you guys call baby werewolves? Because he's definitely a baby werewolf. I saw his scrunched up wolfed up face and everything. Anyway. Here you go.” While he talked, Stiles fetched the note and handed it to Derek. He figured he could keep on soothing the baby's need for real affection while Derek read and then he was definitely going to hand it over to him. This was Derek's kid. Not his.

 

Brows furrowing to the point Derek looked like he had a unibrow, he looked at the note seriously and with trepidation

 

_Derek,_

 

_I thought I was lucky when I met you. Then we spent that weekend together, and it was amazing. Even when the condom broke I wasn't too worried. I was on the pill and you looked clean. I thought I was safe. I didn't know you would fill me with your demon seed. I hadn't wanted a baby, but I thought maybe it would be okay. But it wasn't! It was... oh I don't know. I didn't know at first. I thought 'oh how angelic!' my baby looked. And then it_ cried _and I saw it for what it was. A demon. A hellspawn. I knew then I was being punished by God for having sex before marriage. I wish I had listened to my parents and the church._

 

_I can't keep the demon child. I never even named the damned thing and I only took it from the hospital because I thought it was my penitence to care for it. But why should I have to play mother and nursemaid to a demon when the father still exists?! It took a few days to get all the paperwork I would need. You'll find the papers in the diaper bag. I've terminated my rights. I don't want that creature from Hell. It's_ yours _now. Do with it what you want._

 

_Don't look for me. EVER._

 

_\--Sara_

 

“Fuck!”

 

“Hey!” Stiles protested. “Small ears here..!”

 

Derek rolled his eyes. “He won't remember.”

 

“That's good. No kid should remember being abandoned. Hey wait. Do you know for sure the baby's a boy? Did it say that in the note? Or did you smell it? Is it a scent thing?”

 

“What?” Derek looked at Stiles like he thought the teen was more than a little dumb. “No, Stiles. All babies smell the same. I just said 'he' because I don't want to call him 'it' and you mentioned we shouldn't call him an it.”

 

“Oh.... okay.” Stiles smiled as he nuzzled the now sleeping newborn. It almost felt like instinct to press a light kiss to the downy head of dark brown hair. That or he remembered seeing his father do the same and that had soothed Charlotte's newborn. “So. Now what?”

 

Derek's frown stayed in place as he stepped closer to Stiles and the newborn. He pressed his lips into a thin line as he leaned in uncomfortably close to the teen so he could smell the newborn. Logically, he knew the baby's scent wouldn't be too strong. Mostly what he would pick up would be cleanliness of the baby, residual scents from anyone that touched him, and if he was truly Derek's he would smell like family, pack, and home.

 

Breathing deeply, he could tell the bare minimum had been done in terms of keeping the baby clean. At the most, he had been wiped down with baby wipes. Something smelled rotted and he wasn't sure what it was. Maybe the stump of the umbilical cord? He breathed deep again. He smelled strongly of Stiles and the barest hint of the baby's mother. He remembered her scent because he'd felt a strong desire to go out and, put in crude terms, fuck someone. Something he hadn't done since he and Laura first moved out to NYC and he used sex as a way to feel alive. After moving back to Beacon Hills, he hadn't really had the time to fuck around. Between the Argents, the kanima, the Alpha pack, and his own uncle he never had the time. Sometime after Stiles' eighteenth birthday he found the time to go out to a club in the next town over. There he found a pretty, shy, brunette and they just hit it off. He turned his cell phone off, she turned hers off, and they spent the weekend at a hotel fucking and ordering room service.

 

He thought for sure there wouldn't be a problem. She said she was on the pill and it was only the one condom that broke.

 

Closing his eyes, Derek tried to ignore the faint scents of Sara and focused on the child. There, just barely, he could smell what confirmed it for him. The scent of pack and family mingled with the natural scents of the newborn. He almost missed the scent completely because he'd nearly forgotten that scent. He found himself tugging Stiles close so he could hug the teen as he continued to breathe in the baby's scent.

 

“Um...”

 

“...He's mine. He's really mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time trying to figure out how to show how much time has passed from the first chapter, the prologue really, to this one. I decided to go with dates. In case it's not clear, the prologue takes place on April 8th, Stiles' birthday, and this one takes place nearly a year later on February 5th.
> 
> Oh and please let me know if anything reads funny or there's an error. I'll be happy to fix it. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles was trapped. He couldn't move. And it was all thanks to the ridiculously muscular arms wrapped around him. With the slightly grunting infant in his arms, he couldn't even push the brick furnace known as Derek away from him. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one that wanted the hug to be done with. At least, that's how Stiles' chose to interpret the weird bubble popping feeling against his left palm. The palm that just so happened to be pressed against the newborn's diaper clad rear.

 

“Um...” Stiles felt Derek tense before the older male delicately sniffed the air.

 

“Your kid, man. I'm not changing a dirty diaper.” Stiles was pretty sure he could feel the eye roll Derek let loose.

 

“It was just a fart.”

 

“Yeah, you probably squeezed it out of him with that hug there, buddy. Which reminds me. Are you gonna let go anytime soon?”

 

Derek wasn't inclined to let go anytime soon but he could feel the teen's uneasiness, and while they were friends this hug was going way beyond accepted societal norms for friendly hugs. Even for a werewolf. Pulling back from Stiles, he laid a gentle hand over the back of the baby's head and gently stroked over the extremely soft hair.

 

Stiles looked at the soft, warm look in Derek's eyes and swore to himself that he didn't find it absolutely charming. Smiling, he started to pull the baby away from his body so he could hand him over to Derek. “Here you go, _dad._ ”

 

Derek thought Stiles was teasing him until he realized he was sincere. He was hesitant at first but the overwhelming desire for pack and family had him taking the infant into his arms. The baby was so light Derek worried he would accidentally drop him or hurt him somehow. Yet, he didn't. Instinctively, he brought the baby up higher in his arms so he could properly scent the little one. In return, the newborn jerkily attempted to rub his cheeks against Derek's. Without proper motor control, Derek had to help the infant. Afterward, he beamed happily at Stiles. “Ah.. Stiles. I... um. I'm going to take him inside. It's kinda chilly and newborn weres can get sick-”

 

“Oh right yeah. Go in and I'll get his stuff okay?” Stiles nodded before jogging back over to his Jeep as Derek took the baby inside.

 

“This is crazy,” Stiles muttered to himself as he tried to figure out the best way to get all the baby stuff into the house while only making one trip. “Derek Hale... surprise father!” Snorting, he shouldered the diaper bag before unlatching the infant carrier. Derek would need that. Not him. He also grabbed the box of diapers. With his hands full, he hip bumped the Jeep's door shut before hurrying back to the house and up the stairs. By the time he managed to get the door open without dropping anything he could hear what sounded like an extremely unhappy baby.  
  
 _Oh crap._  
  
Following the sounds of the wailing newborn, he stopped just inside the entryway to the den. Brows furrowing, he frowned a little at the almost frantic look on the older male's face as he tried to calm the red faced, screaming in unhappiness, baby.

 

Derek remembered babysitting his younger cousins and he remembered holding his younger siblings. He knew how to handle an upset baby but for some reason nothing was working to calm down the most important baby he'd ever held. By scent alone he knew the baby didn't need a clean diaper. He was pretty sure the baby wasn't hungry. That didn't really sound like a hungry wail. He wondered if it was just him. The newborn hiccuped before a scent caught his attention. Almost immediately, his cries slowed and became whimpers.

 

Derek looked heartbroken as he looked up to Stiles. “He... doesn't feel safe with me.” It was the only thing he could think of that made sense. His kid felt more comfortable with Stiles than him. Of course. Just his luck he'd have a kid that even as a newborn wouldn't want him.

 

“...Derek...” Based on how Stiles said his name, the Alpha knew he must have said all that out loud. His ear's flushed in embarrassment. “I'm sure that's not it. Babies can be weird right? And he's a werebaby so maybe it's something simple. Maybe... I don't know... Maybe he knows he was abandoned once, right? And even though I've only been around for a couple hours in his life, maybe he was afraid I'd leave too?”

 

Stiles set all the baby stuff down and gave a little smile as Derek nodded. After standing around awkwardly, he pulled out his phone. It looked like Derek would need his help. Good thing he didn't have any plans and made sure his classes were only two days a week. That left him with a lot of free time. Free time he was apparently going to use to help Derek with single parenting 101.

 

“Okay. Here's what we're going to do. I'm gonna text everyone and tell them due to a uh... emergency the house is going to be off limits for the weekend. Okay? I'll tell my dad I'm staying to help you out with something important. And I'll get Ms. McCall and Dr. Deaton to come over in the morning for a checkup. Does that sound good?”

 

At Derek's nod, he looked to his phone and rapid fire sent out the necessary texts. He rolled his eyes as everyone agreed except for Scott who wanted to know what the emergency was and if he needed to be there to help. He hated lying to his best friend, and he definitely counted lies of omission as lies, but he thought it was best if Derek got to spend a few days figuring out this dad thing before the others crowded in. After fifteen minutes or so, he'd heard back from everyone.

 

Phone back in his pocket, Stiles looked up to Derek who seemed completely enamored with his kid. Especially, since the kid was quietly snuffling his neck. “Hey. We're not going to be bothered this weekend. Well, except for baby's first check up. Which before that I think you should probably do a diaper check and then name the kid. He should have a name don't you think?”

 

Derek hesitated a moment before nodding. Gently, he cradled the baby in his hands and moved the tiny body away from him and to the plush couch. The baby didn't seem very happy with that development but didn't cry. Derek's fingers looked so large compared to the small snaps on the infant's clothing. “Stiles? Can you find something else for him to wear? It smells like he's probably worn this for a couple days. At least and...” He paused as he tried to keep himself under control.

 

Noticing the silence and Derek's tense, almost angry set shoulders, Stiles leaned closer to see what Derek was looking at and he nearly gagged. The umbilical stump was black, as to be expected, but it was also surrounded by pus. The skin around the stump was red and a little inflamed. “Is that supposed to look like that? Cause I gotta tell you, that looks disgusting and painful...”

 

“I'm so sorry,” Derek murmured to the baby. Not for anything he had done, but for the kid having a mother that didn't take care of him properly. Gently placing his hand on the infant's belly so the infected stump rested in the cradle of his thumb and forefinger, Derek pulled the pain from his child. Pain that shouldn't have been there. Soon as the black veins in his forearm disappeared, the forehead of the infant smoothed out and he began to rest easier.

 

Looking up to Stiles, he frowned. “Can you see if Deaton and Melissa can come tonight? I don't... I'm not sure how to take care of this.”

 

“How come he's not healing?”

 

Derek sighed. “He's too young for increased healing. He won't get that until he's older. If he had it now, the bones in his skull would fuse and cause permanent damage or even death. Or they might never fuse. Right now, he's about as weak as any other human. He won't get the healing or strength until he's older. Five or six maybe at the youngest. He shouldn't even be able to shift this early. He's too young. I've never heard of it happening this young.”

 

Stiles stared at the baby and wondered if he was some kind of prodigy. A werewolf genius. He shook his head. “Yeah... yeah. I'll see if I can get them to come over tonight instead.”

 

Turning his head away from the new family, he dialed Ms. McCall's number first. Between the first couple of rings and her almost exasperated greeting, Stiles heard an almost pitiful sounding whimper come from the Alpha. “Ah, hey. Ms. McCall? I know we agreed on a checkup tomorrow morning but do you think it's possible to change that to tonight? There's some kind of infection and we're not sure what to do.”

 

Stiles paused for a moment, listening to whatever Melissa had to say, before speaking again. “It's at the umbilical cord? Or I guess around it? It's got a smell and there's puss and it looks pretty inflamed. Derek had to drain the pain from the baby.”

 

The teen nodded. “Okay thanks. I'll call Deaton. Oh. Ah.. and. Okay. So we maybe also need some basic help with baby stuff too. So it's good you're coming over tonight.” He smiled as his best friend's mom laughed at him before saying goodbye and hanging up. He guessed she must have found it amusing that he had no idea what to do. In his defense, he hadn't had time to do any research yet. But he would. That night before bed he'd start researching newborn care.

 

Thankfully, he only had to text Deaton with the change of plans and the enigmatic man agreed to the change of plans.

 

Putting his phone away, Stiles looked back to see Derek had taken off his shirt and he was holding the bare, except for a diaper, baby against his chest.

 

Derek looked up from the baby after he sat on the couch. “Skin to skin contact is important to new weres. They need the comfort and scents of their parents to feel at ease. And I just want to make sure he's not upset when Deaton and Melissa get here.”

 

Stiles smiled and nodded. “So, does that mean you checked his diaper and he's really a he?”

 

Derek shook his head. “Not yet. I'll do it now.”

 

Despite the baby's disgruntled sounds, Derek moved the infant from his chest to his thighs. His large fingers went straight to the velcro closures of the disposable diaper. The sound of the velcro coming undone was loud in the room as both Derek and Stiles practically held their breath as they waited for the diaper to be opened.

 

Luckily for Derek, once he cautiously opened the diaper, the newborn baby boy didn't have to go and the new father didn't get peed on.

 

“He's a boy...” Derek mumbled as he smiled proudly. His first child was a boy. His son. Not to say he wouldn't be so proud if the baby turned out to be a girl, but he'd always wanted a son. Not wanting to tempt fate, Derek closed the diaper back up and scooped his son back up into his arms.

 

Stiles sat beside him and found himself gently stroking the soft dark hair on the baby's head. “So. What are you going to name him?”

 

A name. Right. Even if his son's mother had named him, Derek was going to give him a new name. She didn't have the right to name their son. Not with how she behaved. He was silent for so long he almost expected Stiles to start listing names when the perfect one came to him. “James Andrew Hale.”

 

Stiles smiled big, and happy. The kid finally had a name. Something they could call him. “You hear that, Jamie. You've got a big boy name now.”

 

Jamie just grunted in response before he began to doze. His father was so warm that it was comforting and add to that how he could relax thanks to the pain in his tummy being gone it was no wonder the newborn was finding sleep easy to come by.

 

They stayed there, sitting on the couch and providing a gentle aura of calm, together in comfortable silence.

 

Nearly half an hour would pass before the doorbell would ring. “Stay there. I'll get it,” Stiles smiled before he got up. Man this was a crazy day. He hurried to the door and thankfully, this time Jamie didn't cry just because he was no longer near. Stiles hoped that meant the baby boy had recognized Derek as his father.

 

“Hey Ms. McCall. Deaton.” He nodded to both and opened the door wider to let them in. “Derek and Jamie are in the den.” Knowing they'd been in the house before, he trusted they could find there way in without being led. Stiles just needed a moment to himself.

 

_'Get it together, Stiles. You're falling way too fast for your Alpha's kid. Remember. Derek's son. Not yours. He's not yours. It's crazy to get so damn attached.'_ He practiced breathing exercises for a moment as he reaffirmed the knowledge that the baby was not his and he didn't need to get attached. When he thought he was okay, he shut the front door and walked back to the den where Ms. McCall and Deaton were checking over an increasingly unhappy baby.

 

Even Derek seemed agitated and Stiles, wanting to calm the mood, went over to them long enough to gently stroke Jamie's soft little cheek. “Hey little man. They're going to be done soon and hopefully make it so you feel better quicker. Okay?”

 

Amazingly, Jamie was soothed enough that his almost cries stopped. Melissa shared a look with Deaton at that and Deaton merely made an amused sound as Stiles moved to stand beside Derek. Seeing how tense the other male was, Stiles gently nudged his arm with his own elbow. “Don't worry, Derek. They've got this. I'm sure this will be an easy fix.”

 

“He's right,” Melissa said from where she was cleaning the pus away. “This happens more than you'd think it would. Sometimes from over-cleaning. Sometimes from neglect. I'm not sure which this is from but it won't take long to heal if you keep it clean and dry. Sponge baths only until this heals. Absolutely no rubbing alcohol. It won't make the cord dry up faster and could make things worse by killing good bacteria. This should heal up quickly, but if you notice he seems sick or he won't feed you'll need to get him medical attention as soon as possible. Do you know if he's circumcised?”

 

“No. He's not,” Derek answered quickly. He was glad Sara hadn't subjected his son to that unnecessary horror.

 

“Good. We try to discourage that now. It's usually not necessary and just causes a lot of pain and sometimes death. He only has to lose a few ounces of blood to die from blood loss and that can happen fast in a botched circumcision.” Melissa sat back while Deaton did his own exam of the newborn. “Just remember. You clean his penis like you would your own finger. Just the outside. Never retract his foreskin. It will be fused to the glans until he's about 10 years old. There's no need to pull it back to do any cleaning. All you'll do is cause him pain. Okay?”

 

Both Derek and Stiles nodded much to Melissa's amusement. Stiles remembered a lot of this information from the circumcision report he wrote for econ about two years ago. Who knew that would actually come in handy. And Derek, well he was intact and knew how to take care of an intact penis from experience.

 

Finally Deaton nodded to Derek to collect his son, which the Alpha did quickly. “I'm a little concerned that he's already started to shift,” Deaton began as he removed the disposable gloves he had been wearing. “If I'm not mistaken, Derek, you were eight months old before you had your first shift and you startled yourself so badly you cried.”

 

The tips of Derek's ears turned red as Stiles snickered and nudged him playfully.

 

“Your father was immensely proud as you shifted far earlier than anyone expected you to. Typically, a were's first shift does not occur until they are over a year old.” Deaton's soft smile faded as he looked to Jamie. “However, your son... I worry how such an early shift will affect him. He will feel the moon's pull earlier than he should. The coming full moon may be difficult.”

 

Stiles frowned. “The full moon is in just a week... What will we... uh I mean Derek.... What will Derek have to do?”

 

Deaton gave Stiles a look that seemed to consider more than just the question asked. “Jamie will need those he trusts most to be near him. Those he considers his parents. His caregivers. He will be, for lack of a better word, cranky and inconsolable without an anchor. And as he's so young he won't be able to find an anchor for some time.”

 

“So, it'll be like Jamie has colic times twenty then?” Stiles asked curiously. His father had told him how he had been a colicky baby and how it was exhausting for him and Claudia for the two months he had it.

 

Deaton gave a nod, “Something like that.”

 

“At least he doesn't have teeth yet!” Stiles was trying to stay optimistic. Melissa, however, snorted at that comment.

 

“You'd be surprised how hard someone without teeth can bite. I almost didn't breastfeed Scott because of how hard he bit the first time I tried to nurse him.” She laughed a little at Stiles' vaguely horrified face.

 

“Jamie will need regular pediatric care like any other infant including immunization shots until his healing kicks in. There is a pediatrician in Paradise that often has young patients much like yourself. Once Jamie's increased healing begins to work then he will provide falsified documents for school regarding immunizations if necessary. I will give him a call on Monday morning to give him your information, if that is all right with you...?”

 

Derek nodded. “Yeah. That's good. Thank you.”

 

Deaton smiled nodded. “Good night,” he offered as a parting before he left the home.

 

Just moments later, Jamie opened his blue gray eyes before he whimpered and began to wail.

 

Derek frowned for a moment before he looked to Melissa for help. “He.. I think he's hungry. His stomach is making sounds. I'm not sure how to...”

 

Stiles pulled away from Derek's side. “I think I saw formula and bottles in this bag but I guess.. I mean do you just follow the directions on the can?”

 

Melissa smiled and nodded. “Yep. It's easy stuff. But because he's so young you're going to want to use warm water. Normally, I'd suggest using a bottle warmer but since I'm guessing you don't have one, just turn on the faucet in the kitchen until the water feels warm but not too hot then fill the bottle up to about 3oz on the bottle. Then follow the directions on how much formula to add.”

 

Stiles plucked up the only clean looking bottle in the diaper bag and the can of half full Similac infant formula. He stared at the bottle for a moment, at least until Derek growled his name, and then apologized as he hurried to the kitchen. “Sorry! This is just the weirdest bottle I've ever seen!”

 

As Stiles waited for the water to heat up, he wondered if Tommee Tippee was actually a good brand. He guessed if Jamie liked it then it probably didn't matter but he was so going to research the brand later. He had a lot to research. Hopefully Jamie would sleep long enough for him to get some research in.

 

Once the water was hot enough and Stiles had put enough formula in the bottle, he capped the bottle and gently shook it as he hurried back to Derek. “Is it supposed to look like this? This stuff looks so gross.”

 

Melissa just laughed and before she could say anything, Jamie's cries stopped. He could smell the synthetic milk and he knew he would soon get fed. Eager, he opened and closed his small mouth causing Melissa to coo over him.

 

Stiles handed the bottle to Derek and with minimal help from Melissa, the Alpha found himself feeding his son for the first time. Jamie sucked hard on the silicone nipple as he looked up at his father with blurry eyes.

 

Melissa smiled at the bonding taking place. “Since he's so young he's going to need frequent feedings. Two to three ounces every two to three hours. But, I think you've got this all on your own. I'll just leave you to it. Call me if you need anything.” She stayed there for a moment longer before she left. Not that she was missed exactly.

 

Derek was in his own little world and Stiles guided him to the couch where they both sat and seemed enamored with the little boy they'd only known for a couple of hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long with this chapter. I was really unhappy with it and I've rewritten it several times. At this point I think this is as good as it gets. 
> 
> So yes, Stiles inadvertently caused Derek's libido to get kicked up a notch and cause Jamie to come into existence. Be careful what you wish for and all that jazz!
> 
> Also if it's not obvious I'm so against routine infant circumcision. It's just unnecessary in most cases and became popular in the US as a way to curb masturbation. Anyway! That's enough preaching from me!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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